There are times where showing someone existed in a certain place at a certain point in time can be a big clue. And the most mundane record can show that. I've been using directories of animal breeders recently in my research since most of my ancestors were farmers. Those items don't provide "huge" discoveries. But they do show a person was in a specific location at a specific time.
And at least that means they weren't dead when the material was compiled.
Sometimes that's a big clue.
And if nothing else, at least I know the breed of livestock they raised, which means I can choose the right "stock" images to use as illustrations.
I lost the trail of a great-great-grandfather after the 1880 census, at which time he was disabled. It was exciting to learn from a newspaper article that he was still alive in 1881. Funny how exciting those little bits of information can be. Thanks, Michael.
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